Tikilluaritsi Kalaallit Nunaata atuagaateqarfianut

Welcome to Greenland's book library

Greenland — quotes, proverbs & wisdom

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Author: ZakGT

Real words from the people of Greenland, each with a verified source. New quotes are added as each is fact-checked.

Capital: NuukPopulation: ~57,000Founded: 1721 (Danish colonization begins); Home Rule 1979; Self-Government Act 2009Region: AmericasLanguages: klCurrency: Danish krone (DKK)Quote code: 299Quote_gl

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Proverbs

Den, der raster, ruster.

“He who rests, rusts.”

Constant motion, work, and effort keep a person capable; standing still leads to decline.

Knud Rasmussen

Source: Knud Rasmussen, personal motto, associated with Den Store Slæderejse (The Great Sled Journey, 1915)

“Old age does not lie.”

The knowledge and judgment built up over a long life can be trusted.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "The Coming of Men" (1921)

“The world is great indeed.”

A lifetime of travel and effort reveals just how vast and humbling the world truly is.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "The Two Friends Who Set Off to Travel Round the World" (1921)

“Be careful never to tell what you have seen, or it will go ill with your hunting hereafter.”

Boasting about good fortune, especially in hunting, is believed to turn luck bad; discretion protects what you have gained.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit hunting taboo, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "The Insects that Wooed a Wifeless Man" (1921)

“The human soul is what makes you beautiful, what makes you into a human being.”

Inner character and spirit, not outward appearance, define a person's true worth.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Majaq, an Inughuit hunter of northwest Greenland, quoted in Knud Rasmussen, The People of the Polar North (1908)

“Nature is great; but are not men greater?”

Human endurance and the works people build are, in their own way, as remarkable as the vastness of nature itself.

Arnarulunnguaq

Source: Arnarulunnguaq, remark on first seeing New York City, quoted in Knud Rasmussen, Across Arctic America (1927)

“Before it was you who needed me, now it's me who needs you.”

In hardship, dependence shifts between companions, and loyalty holds even when the roles reverse.

Arnarulunnguaq

Source: Arnarulunnguaq, spoken to Knud Rasmussen after the death of her husband Iggiannguaq during the Fifth Thule Expedition (1921-1924), as recorded in expedition accounts

“My poems were based on my identity as an Inuit. I was fighting injustice and asking for respect for the basic human rights of all indigenous peoples.”

Poetry can be a direct instrument of political voice when it grows out of a fight for identity and rights.

Aqqaluk Lynge

Source: Aqqaluk Lynge, interview statement on his poetry and activism

“If you kill more than one seal to-day, you will never kill seal again hereafter.”

Taking more from the hunt than is needed invites bad luck; restraint protects future survival.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit hunting taboo, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "Qujavarssuk" (1921)

“You should not begin to eat from the wrong side.”

Proper order and custom matter even in small daily acts; doing things the right way shows respect for tradition.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "Qujavarssuk" (1921)

“When you see a great rock in your way, take great care to drive round behind it.”

Face an obstacle with caution and go around it carefully rather than forcing your way through.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "The Very Obstinate Man" (1921)

“If you eat of those berries, you will never return.”

A warning that tempting shortcuts or forbidden things can carry a cost from which there is no going back.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "Kunigseq" (1921)

“Now mind you do not tell tales, for if you do as we say, then you will gain strength again.”

Discretion and obedience to good counsel are rewarded with renewed strength and fortune.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "Qalaganguase" (1921)

“Little bear, remember to sheathe your claws when you play with them.”

Even in play, strength must be handled with restraint so that it does not harm others.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Traditional Greenlandic Inuit saying, recorded in Knud Rasmussen, Eskimo Folk-Tales, trans. W. Worster, tale "The Woman Who Had a Bear as Foster-Son" (1921)

“When you've come so far that you can't take another step, you've only done half of what you're capable of doing.”

The point of exhaustion is not the true limit of human ability; there is always more strength in reserve.

Traditional Greenland Wisdom

Source: Popularly circulated Greenlandic proverb, widely cited in published quotation and perseverance-proverb collections; original ethnographic recording undocumented

“If we are to create a strong nation, it's not by creating new buildings or new facilities. It's creating awareness of your own nation.”

A nation is built first through the people's awareness and pride in their own identity, not through infrastructure alone.

Aleqa Hammond

Source: Aleqa Hammond, quoted in Up Here Publishing, "Secede To Succeed"

“Never give up your language. Never give up the priorities your ancestors gave you... anything that comes from outside replaces that which allowed you to survive.”

Language and inherited values are what carried a people through hardship, and losing them means losing the very means of survival.

Aleqa Hammond

Source: Aleqa Hammond, quoted in Up Here Publishing, "Secede To Succeed"

“The atmosphere was very different. Way more optimistic and progressive.”

Reflecting on the hopeful spirit of a nation's early steps toward self-government, contrasted with later disappointment.

Kuupik Kleist

Source: Kuupik Kleist, quoted in High North News, "Kuupik Kleist: We Should Take the Danish Realm More Seriously" (2019)

The story of Greenland

Greenland's human story begins with Paleo-Eskimo peoples who crossed from present-day Arctic Canada around 2500 BCE, followed by later migrations including the Thule culture around 1200 CE, the direct ancestors of most Greenlanders today. Norse settlers led by Erik the Red arrived from Iceland in 985-986 CE, founding the Eastern and Western Settlements; these Norse colonies mysteriously vanished by the mid-15th century, likely due to a cooling climate and isolation. Sustained European contact resumed in 1721, when Lutheran missionary Hans Egede founded Godthåb (now Nuuk) and began Danish colonization. Greenland remained a Danish colony until 1953, when it became an integral county of Denmark, and then gained increasing self-rule: the 1979 Home Rule Act created a local parliament, and the 2009 Self-Government Act made Kalaallisut the sole official language and expanded Greenlandic control over natural resources and justice. Today Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark , not an independent country , balancing Inuit heritage, Arctic geopolitics, and a small but growing modern identity.

Timeline — key moments

circa 2500 BCE
Paleo-Eskimo peoples (Saqqaq culture) first arrive in Greenland from Arctic Canada.
circa 1200
Thule culture migrates in from the west; direct ancestors of most Greenlanders today.
985-986
Erik the Red leads Norse settlers from Iceland, founding the Eastern and Western Settlements.
circa 1450
Norse settlements disappear, likely due to a cooling climate and growing isolation.
1721
Missionary Hans Egede founds Godthåb (now Nuuk), beginning sustained Danish colonization.
1953
Greenland's status changes from Danish colony to an integral county (amt) of Denmark.
1979
Home Rule Act creates a Greenlandic parliament (Inatsisartut) and local government.
2009
Self-Government Act makes Kalaallisut the sole official language and expands autonomy over resources and justice.

Top 10 things to know about Greenland

Greenland is the world's largest island that is not a continent.
About 80% of its surface is covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica.
It is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, not an independent country.
Population is around 57,000, giving it one of the lowest population densities on Earth.
Nuuk, the capital, is one of the smallest capital cities in the world by population.
The official language is Kalaallisut (Greenlandic), an Inuit language written in Latin script.
Most Greenlanders descend from the Thule people, who arrived around 1200 CE.
According to Icelandic sagas, Erik the Red named it "Greenland" to attract settlers.
No roads connect Greenland's towns , travel is by boat, plane, snowmobile, or dog sled.
Its waters are home to the Greenland shark, one of the longest-living vertebrates known.

Famous people from Greenland

Erik the Red

Norse explorer & settler

Led the first Norse settlers from Iceland to Greenland around 985 CE.

Hans Egede

Missionary

"Apostle of Greenland"; founded Godthåb (Nuuk) in 1721 and began sustained Danish contact.

Knud Rasmussen

Polar explorer & ethnographer

First to cross the Northwest Passage by dogsled; widely considered the founder of Eskimology.

Aleqa Hammond

Politician

First woman to serve as Premier of Greenland (2013-2014).

Mathias StorchAuthor

Novelist

Wrote "Sinnattugaq" (1914), the first Greenlandic novel.

Say it in Greenland's language

Hello (informal)

Aluu

ah-loo

Hello (formal)

Kutaa

koo-tah

Thank you

Qujanaq

koo-yah-nak

Did you know?

★Despite its name, Greenland is mostly ice , its neighbor Iceland is actually the greener of the two.
★Greenland has no roads connecting its towns; every settlement is reached by sea, air, or snow.
★The Greenland shark can live for centuries, making it one of the longest-lived vertebrates known.

Greenland culture

Kalaallit Nunaat ("Land of the Greenlanders") is the native Greenlandic name for the country.
Traditional foods include seal, whale, and fish; kaffemik (open-house coffee gatherings) mark celebrations.
National Day falls on 21 June, marking the 2009 Self-Government Act and the summer solstice.
Drum dancing and Inuit oral storytelling traditions continue alongside modern Danish-Greenlandic influences.

Why read Greenland's books

Greenlandic storytelling grew from an oral Inuit tradition of songs, myths, and drum-dance narratives passed down for centuries before the first Greenlandic novel appeared in 1914. That small but distinct literary voice is where this shelf begins.